1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a gas turbine engine combustor assembly and, more particularly, to an improved cooling apparatus for a combustor dome assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Combustion, in a gas turbine engine, occurs within a combustion zone defined by a pair of combustor liners extending longitudinally downstream from a dome assembly. Air, introduced into the dome assembly, is mixed with fuel, sprayed into the combustion zone and ignited. Since the dome assembly is immediately adjacent to the combustion zone, it is subject to the intense heat produced by the combustion process. As a result, high temperatures can occur in the dome assembly which, if allowed to remain unattended, can cause dome deterioration and limit the operating life of the dome assembly.
To protect the dome assembly from the intense heat of combustion, it is known in the prior art to use a portion of the air introduced into the dome assembly to cool various sections of the dome. It is common practice to utilize louvered joints or cooling holes in the dome to bleed a portion of the air across various sections of the dome to provide a film of cool air which forms a barrier against the heat generated by the combustion process. While many different arrangements of louvers and cooling holes have been employed in prior art combustors, none have been found to be entirely satisfactory.